Support bracket assembly for an upright computer casing

ABSTRACT

A support bracket assembly for an upright computer casing ( 12 ) is provided in which an operatively generally horizontal support platform ( 1 ) is supported at the lower end of a lower upright suspension member ( 2 ) and an upper operatively upright suspension member member ( 3 ) forming together with the lower suspension member a composite suspension member has an attachment unit ( 4 ) at its upper end for attachment to a desk ( 5 ) or the like. One suspension member is of generally squat tubular configuration receiving the other of the elongate suspension members telescopically therein. Preferably, the outer suspension member has two oppositely disposed series of formations ( 11 ) spaced apart in the direction in which the platform extends from the suspension members and both are that engaged simultaneously by stop means ( 6 ) associated with the inner suspension member. The stop means is preferably and upright rotatable worm gear ( 6 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a support bracket accessory for an uprightcomputer casing of the type that is independent of any associatedkeyboard or monitor and that is typically, although not necessarily, avertically orientated tower style of casing such as one of thewell-known mini-tower casing, midi-tower casing or even a full towercasing.

More particularly, the invention relates to a support bracket assemblythat facilitates enhanced utilisation of available space and that canalso be used to enhance security of a computer that is supported by it.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Computers housed in tower style of casings are accompanied by theproblem that they occupy valuable desktop or workstation space in theevent that they are placed on a work top on which a computer is beingused, in such event, are also rather unsightly. Alternatively, theyoccupy valuable floor space if placed on the floor in the immediatevicinity of the relevant desk or workstation. More particularly, ifplaced on the floor, the result is often also aesthetically displeasingand such a location exposes the computer casing to possible damage fromimpacts imparted on the casing by persons in the vicinity or by cleaningequipment used to clean the surrounding floor.

There have been proposals, accordingly, to provide a bracket whereby acomputer casing can be suspended beneath a desk or other work top sothat it is out of the way, easily accessible, and secure. One suchproposal is described in published international patent applicationpublication number WO 00/74535 in the name of ACCURIDE INTERNATIONALINC. Another proposal is described in my own international patentapplication publication number WO2005/088184.

The difficulty with these earlier proposals, as far as applicant candetermine, is that the elongate upright telescopically movable supportsthat overlap to different extents exhibit unacceptable flexibility whenthey are made of economical materials such as injection moulded plasticsmaterials. Flexing of the elongate members could lead to a computercasing not being held in an adequately stable manner.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a supportbracket assembly for an upright computer casing that will provide theadvantages indicated above yet exhibit enhanced stability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention there is provided a support bracketassembly for an upright computer casing, the assembly comprising anoperatively generally horizontal support platform for supporting theweight of a computer casing thereon in an elevated position relative tothe floor, wherein the support platform is supported at the lower end ofa lower operatively upright elongate suspension member, an upperoperatively upright elongate suspension member forming together with thelower suspension member a composite suspension member, an attachmentunit at the upper end of the upper suspension member whereby theassembly may be attached to a desk or the like to suspend the supportplatform in an elevated position, and wherein the distance between theattachment unit and support platform is adjustable by virtue of theupper and lower suspension members being telescopically adjustablerelative to each other, the accessory being characterised in that one ofthe elongate suspension members, the outer suspension member, is ofgenerally squat tubular configuration receiving the other of theelongate suspension members, the inner suspension member, telescopicallytherein.

Further features of the invention provide for the outer suspensionmember to have two oppositely disposed series of formations spaced apartin the direction in which the platform extends from the suspensionmembers; for formations of both of said series of formations to beengaged simultaneously by stop means associated with the innersuspension member; for the stop means to be an upright rotatable wormgear held longitudinally captive relative to the inner suspension memberand cooperating with both of said two oppositely disposed series offormations on the outer suspension member; and for the worm gear to berotatable manually by way of a rotatable operating wheel accessible onan exposed surface of the platform.

Still further features of the invention provide for the attachment unitto assume the form of an attachment panel for securing in particular tothe horizontal under-surface of an associated desk or the like with theattachment panel being directed downwards towards the support platform,in use; for the platform and attachment unit to be provided withfriction affording pads for engaging the bottom and top of a computercasing in a manner enhancing security by inhibiting and substantiallypreventing removal of the computer from the support bracket assemblywithout releasing the means for adjusting the length of the compositesuspension member; for the means for adjusting the length of thecomposite suspension member to be lockable either directly or indirectlyby means of a lockable cover operatively preventing access to theadjustment means; and for the platform to have a laterally adjustableupstanding retainer for cooperation with the side of a computer casingopposite the suspension members, in use.

In order that the above and other features of the invention may be morefully understood one embodiment thereof will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of support bracket assemblyaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view thereof;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the workingcomponents thereof;

FIG. 5 is a schematic front elevation showing the support bracketassembly in use;

FIG. 6 is an exploded version of the illustration of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the installation of FIG. 5 taken from the sideat which the suspension members are located; and,

FIG. 8 is a side view of the installation from the side opposite that ofFIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings thesupport bracket assembly is made primarily of injection moulded plasticscomponents although it will be understood that any other appropriatematerials, such as pressed metal components, could be used withappropriate variations to the construction detail.

In this embodiment of the invention the support bracket assemblycomprises a support platform (1) that is operatively horizontal and thatis fixed, at one lateral extremity thereof, to the lower end of anoperatively upright lower elongate suspension member (2) extendingupwards therefrom. The lower suspension member is hollow, being made ofa pair of cooperating injection moulded shells and forms the innersuspension member that is telescopically received within a verticallydownwardly extending upper elongate suspension member, the outersuspension member (3), that is carried at its upper end by a transverseattachment unit in the form of an attachment panel (4).

The attachment panel is configured to be secured, typically usingfasteners such as screws, to the undersurface of a desktop or other worktop (5). Each of the support platform and attachment panel are also madeas two cooperating injection moulded shells in order to provide themwith suitable rigidity and strength whilst maintaining economy of weightand materials employed.

The outer suspension member (3) is also made of a pair of oppositelydirected injection moulded shells that together define a squat tubularconfiguration that telescopically receives the inner suspension member(2). In this manner an effectively rigid telescopically extensiblecomposite suspension member is formed.

In order to enable telescopic adjustment of the effective length of thecomposite suspension member, the inner suspension member houses anaxially captive but rotatable worm gear (6) that is formed on, orsecured to, a longitudinally (that is vertically) extending axle (7)that extends downwards into the platform where it is attached to theinner (that is lower) suspension member. The lower end of the axle hasformed integral therewith a gear (8) that meshes with a manuallyrotatable operating gear (9) having a finger grip (10) associatedtherewith. The finger grip is thus located on the underside of theplatform with the rotatable operating gear being located within the twoshells that form the platform.

The outer suspension member has two oppositely disposed series offormations (11) extending along the length thereof and that areoperatively engaged simultaneously by two diametrically opposite sidesof the worm gear. The two series of formations are thus spaced apart inthe direction in which the platform extends from the compositesuspension member and this construction provides considerable rigidityto the composite suspension member. Simple and effective adjustment ofthe distance between the attachment panel and support platform isthereby provided such that a computer casing, indicated by numeral (12)can be effectively clamped between them.

In order to enhance the clamping action, the platform and attachmentpanel are each provided with friction affording pads (13) for engagingthe bottom and top of a computer casing in a manner enhancing securityby inhibiting and substantially preventing removal of the computer fromthe support bracket assembly without releasing the clamping action.

In order to further enhance security and retention of a computer casingin its operative position, the platform has a laterally adjustableupstanding inverted U-shaped retainer (14) for cooperation with the sideof a computer casing opposite the composite suspension member. Theinverted U-shaped retainer is formed integral with a pair of generallyhorizontal laterally extending carrier legs (15) that are adjustablyreceived in passages in the platform. Each of the arms has a series ofthe notches (16) formed therein and, once installed, a removable keyoperated pin lock (17) can be installed to prevent the retainer frombeing removed. The combined effect is that it is substantiallyimpossible to remove a computer from the support bracket assembly onceit has been installed thereon, without destroying some part of theinstallation, and typically damaging the computer.

Nevertheless, security can be still further enhanced, if required, bycausing the manually operable gear wheel to become locked and thereforeprevent, or at least inhibit, release of the clamping action between thesupport platform and attachment panel. This is achieved by causing theinner end of the pin of the pin lock to pass through a notch in therelevant leg (15) and engage in between two adjacent teeth of themanually rotatable operating gear (9) in the locked condition. In thismanner, unauthorised release a computer operatively clamped in thesupport bracket accessory is effectively inhibited, if not prevented.

It will be understood that the support bracket assembly described abovecan be mounted by way of fasteners to any suitable downwardly directedhorizontal surface so that a computer supported thereby can beeffectively stowed in a position that is neither on a worktop of aworkstation or desk nor on the floor in the vicinity thereof. Also,security of the support bracket assembly is considerable in that removalof a computer casing from such a support bracket in which has beenproperly installed is extremely difficult.

Numerous variations may be made to the embodiment of the inventiondescribed above without departing from the scope hereof.

1. A support bracket assembly for an upright computer casing, theassembly comprising an operatively generally horizontal support platformfor supporting the weight of a computer casing thereon in an elevatedposition relative to the floor, wherein the support platform issupported at the lower end of a composite suspension member comprising alower operatively upright elongate suspension member and an upperoperatively upright elongate suspension member and an attachment unit atthe upper end of the upper suspension member whereby the assembly may beattached to a desk or the like to suspend the support platform in anelevated position, wherein the distance between the attachment unit andsupport platform is adjustable by virtue of the upper and lowersuspension members being telescopically adjustable relative to eachother, with one of the elongate suspension members being an outersuspension member of generally squat tubular configuration receiving theother of the elongate suspension members being the inner suspensionmember, telescopically therein; wherein the outer suspension member hastwo oppositely disposed series of formations spaced apart in thedirection in which the platform extends from the suspension members andwherein the formations of both of said series of formations are engagedsimultaneously by stop means associated with the inner suspensionmember.
 2. (canceled)
 3. (canceled)
 4. A support bracket assembly asclaimed in claim 1 in which the stop means is an upright rotatable wormgear held longitudinally captive relative to the inner suspension memberand cooperating simultaneously with formations of both of said twooppositely disposed series of formations on the outer suspension member.5. A support bracket assembly as claimed in claim 4 in which the wormgear is carried at an upper end of an axle rotatable manually by way ofa rotatable operating wheel accessible at the undersurface of theplatform.
 6. A support bracket assembly as claimed in claim 1 in whichthe attachment unit assumes the form of an attachment panel for securingto a horizontal under-surface of an associated desk or the like with theattachment panel being directed downwards towards the support platform,in use.
 7. A support bracket assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which theplatform and attachment unit are provided with friction affording padsfor engaging the bottom and top of a computer casing.
 8. A supportbracket assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the platform has alaterally adjustable upstanding retainer for cooperation with the sideof a computer casing opposite the suspension members, in use.
 9. Asupport bracket assembly as in claim 8 in which the laterally adjustableupstanding retainer is formed integral with a pair of generallyhorizontal laterally extending carrier legs that are adjustably receivedin passages in the platform.
 10. A support bracket assembly as in claim9 in which for the carrier legs each have a series of notches thereinand locking means are provided for locking at least one of the legsrelative to the platform by cooperation with a selected notch.